


Glory's Flame

by booktick



Category: Borderlands (Video Games)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Different First Meeting, Developing Friendships, Emotional Manipulation, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Programmer Handsome Jack, Tassiter as CEO for now
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-09
Updated: 2019-01-09
Packaged: 2019-09-15 14:21:15
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,157
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16934862
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/booktick/pseuds/booktick
Summary: Rhys arrives at Helios and is immediately locked into an agreement with Jack.





	Glory's Flame

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I own none of this franchise.

* * *

Space looked so different up there. The openness of it was almost too much for him, made the knots that took form in his stomach ache. He had to force himself to look away, the fuzziness inside started to lower gradually after that. It would take some time to get used to everything. If he was going to be at Helios, he'd have to. It didn't mean he'd like it though, not even a little. It's what would be needed to make something of himself. 

Honestly? _It sucked._

He wished he didn't have to do any of this to get a leg up. But sometimes...even good people do shitty things. This wasn't a universe without a little chaos. He'd have to do what he could to just get to tomorrow. He would have to do shitty things too. But...maybe he could be a little less shitty than most. He had a good eye and Vaughn's was even better. Yvette was...Yvette. If he could keep them both on his side maybe he could do something good along his way. Even if it was just something small? Would that be okay? He wanted to do so much...

Rhys' head hung and his eyelids slid shut. His palms were lowered and remained faced up on his lap. A deep sigh left his center, with hot breath it landed upon his open palms. He, reluctantly, opened his eyes again. This was going to be difficult. All of it was. He reached and tightened the seatbelt across his lap for the fifth time. And despite this ongoing panic Rhys had suffered through since they boarded the ship, Vaughn had continued on with talking about Helios.

The air was thick with deceit and backstabbing. He could find around five to ten different people who fit the criteria of potential threat as soon as he walked in. His eyes settled on the doors that led out of the spaceship. He would be walking of there in a few hours. They didn't exactly have the best ship and overcrowding had been an issue right at the start of it all. Yvonne had to take the next ship out, which meant he'd be alone with Vaughn once they landed and docked at Helios. He could only imagine what his friend would have to say then.

"Do you think we'll have to get another roommate? I heard Tassiter has people stacked on top of each other at Helios." Vaughn shoved his tablet under Rhys' nose, the bright image of Hyperion's CEO stared back at him.

 _Gross_.

"Uh," Rhys tried to be gentle as he pushed the tablet away "I'm sure we'll find out." He looked back out the window beside him. Space just...kept spacing.

The stars twinkled and winked at him as he looked over them. He stared at them all, no signs of any planets just yet, no Elpis in sight. He couldn't even see Pandora from this angle. It had to close by, maybe he'd catch a glimpse when they docked. The place was crawling with bandits and Skags. At least he wouldn't have to worry about that on Helios. He'd just have to worry about all the rest of Hyperion. He wasn't sure which was worst. He kept staring at the stars, an attempt to lose himself as long as he could. He wouldn't have time for that when they docked. Even now, staring at stars was a risk all on its' own.

Speaking of staring....

He could feel eyes on him, and not just Vaughn's. The feeling wouldn't leave him, instead it grew and spread through his legs to his toes. He took a deep breath before forcing himself to look away from the window. Vaughn was already back scrolling through the tablet, seemingly unbothered by Rhys' current lack of attention. He chewed the inside of his cheek at the thought. He should probably be more encouraging. It was Vaughn who got them enough credit to even buy a ride to get to the spaceship before it took off. They weren't exactly rolling in money. Vaughn had done a lot-

Damn it.

There was that feeling again. The sensation slid back up from his toes, past his knees, and took position at his hips. He tried not to look around, to not be too obvious, but his echo-eye turned on. He began a scan over what he could see in front of him and in the corners of his vision at the moment. Names of faces he didn't recognize flooded his mind. He tried to pinpoint the current object of interest but no one seemed to even be turning in his direction. 

It was the light that beams in through the window that distracted him from his task. He shut his eyes tight, nose wrinkling as he grimaced. He forced his eyes to crack open just barely, the light was slowly moving past his window to the ones behind them. He took a deep breath and noticed the shit eating grin from his best friend beside him. Vaughn had been prepared and had sunglasses ready to go.

" _Wow._ " He tapped his fingers at his temple, nodding towards Vaughn.

"Always expect the unexpected, Rhys."

"Nice slogan, Rhys turned his head away, "Where'd you find it? Jakobs?"

" _No_!" Vaughn huffed, folding his arms "It's not."

Rhys rolled his eyes and shut them a moment later. Space really, really sucked. Sure, it meant Helios was safe from bandits on Pandora but...to be out in the open, exposed like this? It felt...wrong somehow. He didn't know why he was questioning now. He wanted to work for Hyperion, he wanted to earn a place at Helios, that meant making sacrifices. He just wasn't sure how much it meant giving up at the moment...

His ears twitched at the clicking from above and crackling voice that spoke a moment later:

"We will be docking at Helios in three minutes. Please keep seatbelts on and refrain from bitching out." The voice cleared their throat, "Thanks and whatever."

Rhys opened his eyes after another deep breath. Had it really been that long already? He could have sworn it'd take longer. Three minutes was _nothing_. He didn't know what to do with his hands so he grabbed a hold of the arm rests instead, a hand clasping down on Vaughn's unintentionally. Three minutes to pull himself together and remember why he was there in the first place. 

Three minutes until docking. Don't get up from seat. He could do that. It was three minutes until his feet could be on solid ground again, well, ground that wasn't a cramped spaceship. The first thing he'd do was stretch. His limbs felt stiff, and not in a good way. He didn't like being this cooped up.

And it wasn't easy to hide from prying eyes in this environment. On Helios, at least he might have a fighting chance...


End file.
